In wake of UPA allies mounting pressure on the Centre to rollback the hike in fuel prices, Congress today said the government will make a decision after talking to them in the country’s interest. The party also indicated that it will not be averse to any partial rollback of the hike on the petroleum prices though it maintained that the decision was a “transparent” one.
“Government will take a decision in the country’s interest after discussing it internally. Government is competent enough to deal with the situation,” party spokesperson Shakeel Ahmad said.
His remark came when pointed out that two crucial constituents of the ruling UPA - Trinamool Congress and DMK - today sought rollback of petroleum products hike saying it would hurt the common.
Asked what is the party’s view on this hike, Ahmad said, “the party has no rigid view. Government took a decision and the party stands by it. If Government again takes some decision after talking to allies in the interest of the nation, the party has no objection to it.”
Another party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi, when asked about the controversy over the issue, said, “It is a budget proposal. Ultimately, it has to seen what is decided by Parliament... let us wait for Parliamentary approval or disapproval first.”
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Saturday appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi to roll back the price hike in petro products but said she did not want any ‘confrontation’.
“Common people face hardship in case of price rise. I am running the Railways with difficulty without increasing fares. I appeal to the Prime Minister and Soniaji to reconsider the hike,” Banerjee, who is also the Railway Minister told reporters here.
“We are for the people. I have raised these concerns for the common man. It is not a question of going into any confrontation,” she clarified.
Banerjee’s reaction came on a day when DMK, another key constituent of the UPA government, demanded an immediate rollback of fuel price hike.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi is learnt to have written to Prime Minster Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Pranab Mukherjee, asking them to roll back on fuel prices, party sources said.